March 30 (UPI) — Duke coach Jon Scheyer’s shocked expression was matched with his loss for words after he watched the Blue Devils lose a 19-point lead and ultimately be victimized by a game-winning 3-pointer from UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins.
But Scheyer said the Blue Devils’ departure from the Elite Eight at the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament Sunday in Washington, D.C., was “not about one play.”
“We just gotta hold on,” Scheyer told reporters after the 73-72 setback.
The top-seeded Blue Devils (35-3) led by as much as 19 in the first half and carried a 44-29 edge into the second. They watched their lead slowly evaporate over the final 20 minutes, but still held a 72-70 advantage and had possession of the ball with 10 seconds remaining.
Blue Devils guard/forward Dame Sarr ran the baseline for the final inbound pass of the night. He quickly found forward Cameron Boozer, who bobbled the ball before pulling it in. Boozer then passed back to Sarr, who threw it ahead for guard Cayden Boozer.
Mullins and fellow Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. converged on the freshman, leaping up as he attempted to throw another pass ahead. Demary tipped the pass, with Mullins recovering the loose ball.
Mullins threw a pass up to senior forward Alex Karaban, who was guarded by Cameron Boozer. Karaban then tossed it back to Mullins, who elevated and drained a 3-pointer from about 35 feet out.
The Blue Devils turned the ball over again on the game’s final possession, which started with just three-tenths of a second remaining.
“It’s easy to look at that play,” Scheyer said of the Blue Devils’ second-to-last possession. “I look at every play that happened, especially in that second half. This is not about one play.”
ESPN Analytics gave the Blue Devils a 98.7% chance to win the game in the first half. They had a 82.8% chance to win with 10 seconds remaining. ESPN Analytics didn’t favor the Huskies until after Mullins’ shot.
“I turned the ball over,” Cayden Boozer told reporters. “I should have been strong with the ball. I cost our team our season.”
Mullins was 0 for 4 from 3-point range before his game-winner. He made just nine of his previous 43 attempts from 3-point range until that shot.
“It’s about every play that put us in that position,” Scheyer said. “That’s what you don’t want to do, where one play something can happen. So, for me, look, it’s going to be tough, but it’s not going to be on one play.”
Cameron Boozer scored a game-high 27 points, and Cayden Boozer, his twin brother, logged 15 points and a game-high six assists.
Mullins totaled 10 points for UConn. Center Tarris Reed Jr. led the Huskies with 26 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
“There’s not a person in this room that doesn’t replay everything you could do and how you help, obviously,” Scheyer said. “That’s part of being in this seat. That’s part of being in this spot. At the end of the day, we’ve got to finish it off.”
The second-seeded Huskies (33-5) will face the third-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini in the Final Four at 6:09 p.m. EDT Saturday in Indianapolis.
The top-seeded Michigan Wolverines (35-3), who beat the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers (25-12) earlier Sunday, will take on the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats (36-2) in the other Final Four game at 8:49 p.m. Saturday in Indianapolis.
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